Senior Financial Analyst

Sun Life; Kitchener; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 128,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Benefits

Hybrid work model

Inclusive culture

Ontario Best Workplace 2025

Mental health certification

Job summary

Sun Life Canada’s Operations Expense Management function provides first line of defense support to its business partners as well as consolidation, analytics and reporting of the business’ expenses on a monthly and quarterly basis.

As Senior Financial Analyst you will contribute to financial planning and analysis with a focus on detailed planning, variance analysis, and building financial models to drive decisions and optimize operating expenditures within a dynamic finance transformation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of financial planning, reporting and analysis experience (budgeting, expense management and variance analysis).
• Financial designation with strong preference for CPA or MBA with commensurate experience.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Experience building executive-level presentation and content.
• Analytical thinking—designs use of financial and business analytics for decision making.

Responsibilities

• Build and improve financial models and processes to support monthly and quarterly reporting.
• Analyze expense trends to drive management action to optimize operating expenses.
• Utilize data-driven models to report outcomes for financial and non-financial metrics.
• Lead/support ad hoc financial analysis/consulting as required (e.g. expense studies, cost benefit analysis).
• Build strong partnerships with business leaders and become a trusted financial advisor.

Skills

Financial planning

Variance analysis

Executive presentation

Relationship management

Communication skills

Education

CPA or MBA with commensurate experience

Tools

Tableau

Planview

Python

Hyperion

MS Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do.

At Sun Life, we're driven by our Purpose: helping our Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. Our values shape how we work: caring, authentic, bold, inspiring, and impactful.

When you join Sun Life, you'll work with passionate colleagues and empowering leaders who support your growth and celebrate your contributions, so you can make a meaningful difference in our Clients' lives.

Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.

Sun Life Canada’s Operations Expense Management function provides first line of defense support to its business partners as well as consolidation, analytics and reporting of the business’ expenses on a monthly and quarterly basis.

As part of a dynamic team of Finance professionals, the Senior Financial Analyst will assist in furthering the financial planning and analysis agenda with a strong focus on detailed planning and variance analysis, creating and maintaining financial models, understanding key cost drivers and influencing people in the organization to optimize operational expenditures. This role will be part of the critical transformation of Finance from purely a reporting and planning function to a Trusted Financial Advisor to the business.

What will you do?

Reporting & Analysis

• Hands on role that builds and improves financial models/processes to support monthly and quarterly reporting
• Analyze expense trends to drive management action to optimize operating expenses
• Utilize data driven models to report outcomes for financial and non-financial metrics including value added commentary and insights

Planning

• Support the expense budgeting, forecasting, strategic plan and annual plan process
• Demonstrated ability to develop expense roll forwards from cycle to cycle

Finance Transformation

• Ability to recognize and implement continuous improvements
• Ability to document financial models and processes to enable repeatable and sustainable processes

Other

• Build strong partnerships with business leaders and become a trusted financial advisor
• Lead/support ad hoc financial analysis/consulting as required (e.g. expense studies, cost benefit analysis etc.)
• Understand, and be able to explain to business partners, common charges and Sun Life expense management process

What do you need to succeed?

• 5+ years of financial planning, reporting and analysis experience (budgeting, expense management and variance analysis); preferably in Financial Services
• Financial designation with strong preference for CPA or MBA with commensurate experience
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal
• Experience building executive-level presentation and content
• Analytical thinking - designs/orchestrates use of financial and business analytics for decision making
• Strong relationship management skills with a focus on client orientation; including excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both oral and written)
• Strong prioritization and organization skills -- capable of meeting deadlines in a fast paced, high-performance environment
• Proficient in MS Office Suite – Excel, Word, PowerPoint

Preferred Skills:

• Project reporting and project governance experience is an asset
• Experience of various data management tools (i.e. Tableau, Planview, Python, Hyperion, etc.)
• Results oriented and critical thinking – high sense of ownership
• Capable of distilling complex concepts into simple key messages and insights
• Curious mindset and comfortable with ambiguity and change
• Problem solving skills with curiosity for root cause analysis to identify key levers of financial and operational performance

Unique Requirements:

• Some overtime will be required during peak reporting periods

What's in it for you?

• The opportunity to move along a variety of career paths with amazing networking potential
• Flexible Benefits from the day you join to meet the needs of you and your family
• We’re committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment. Our goal is to make sure all our employees have the chance to live up to their full potential
• We’re honoured to be recognized as a 2025 Best Workplaces in Ontario by Great Place to Work® Canada
• We are thrilled to be recognized by Excellence Canada with their top-level certification, the Canada Order of Excellence for Mental Health at Work®, for prioritizing employee well-being, fostering a positive work culture, and achieving excellence in mental health

The Base Pay range is for the primary location for which the job is posted. It may vary depending on the work location of the successful candidate or other factors. In addition to Base Pay, eligible Sun Life employees participate in various incentive plans, payment under which is discretionary and subject to individual and company performance. Certain sales focused roles have sales incentive plans based on individual or group sales results.

Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of our values at Sun Life. A diverse workforce with wide perspectives and creative ideas benefits our Clients, the communities where we operate and all of us as colleagues. We welcome applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e‑mail a request to [e-mail].

We are proud to be a hybrid organization that offers our employees the choice and flexibility to work from both the office and virtually based on the needs of the business, our Clients and you.

We may use artificial intelligence to support candidate sourcing, screening, interview scheduling.

We thank all applicants for showing an interest in this position. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Salary Range

80,000/80 000 - 128,000/128 000

Job Category

Finance

Posting End Date

22/09/2026